Team Breakout Article

[Baron]

10 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I think Acuna probably deserves a shot to start, but just understanding that he's a pretty limited offensive player.

The other guys shouldn't be "given a shot" or handed a starters job anywhere. 

100% right. I'm not as excited as some on here to watch Kelenic. 

[WestEddy]

26 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

The Sox have zero major league caliber starting outfielders right now but you're singing the praises on them acquiring 2/3 of an OF this off-season.

Me and you have very different expectations and views of what a big league starter looks like.

As I've explained multiple times. This is a rebuilding team that has reps to give to post-hype players in the gamble that they get back on the path towards their ceilings. I don't know how you define "major league caliber". 

You either want guys like Baldwin to get a shot to expand on his last 2 months of 2025 where he OPSed .808 to see if he can hold down an OF spot, or not. I would have little interest in watching an OF of Hays, Bader and Conforto, which, last I checked, were all "major league caliber". 

I'm "singing the praises" of Acuña and Pereira in that they have talent and need reps to get there. If a rebuilding team bores you, so be it. 

[oldsox]

I get the feeling people here consider Acuna to be better than Baldwin. Not me.

[WestEddy]

25 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Two relievers will participate in about 130-160 innings of 1500ish pitching innings in a year. Relief pitching is something you spend money on when you are looking to maximize the margins while competing. If you want to churn any position during a rebuild, as you stated in another post, you want to churn a bullpen. 

 

If you bring in two guys good enough to give you 65-80 IP each, those are great additions. I really don't understand your arguments. You complain that the team doesn't have major league caliber players, but when they bring in major league caliber players, you say they're not ready to invest in that. 

Most people don't sit in the stands, pull up payroll records on their phones, then cheer for salaries. They cheer for their team to win. Building a bullpen that can hold a lead helps the team win. That's just one part of building back the franchise. 

If the team isn't in the pennant race in July, they can then trade those relievers for prospects. You even said in another post that the Sox would barely spend about a quarter of Dominguez's total salary if they trade him in July. Newcomb will cost around $3M if traded. 

[WestEddy]

8 minutes ago, oldsox said:

I get the feeling people here consider Acuna to be better than Baldwin. Not me.

I think Baldwin can be above average, offensively, then needs to learn his eventual position. Acuña has a high defensive ceiling. If they can straighten him out offensively, he can produce like an average major leaguer. 

[southsider2k5]

25 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Shooting down a player as being paid less than Polanco doesn't talk about a player and his attributes. In this case, every prospect and rookie is a non-starter until they're getting real paid. Breaking down actual acquisitions to "obtained 4 players" just to pretend they're not exciting team-building moves is silly. 

Again, all about baseball, you just don't agree with it.  That is two distinctly different things.  It is "silly" to disqualify his opinions with a handwave of "not about baseball" when in fact they are.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

13 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

If you bring in two guys good enough to give you 65-80 IP each, those are great additions. I really don't understand your arguments. You complain that the team doesn't have major league caliber players, but when they bring in major league caliber players, you say they're not ready to invest in that. 

Most people don't sit in the stands, pull up payroll records on their phones, then cheer for salaries. They cheer for their team to win. Building a bullpen that can hold a lead helps the team win. That's just one part of building back the franchise. 

If the team isn't in the pennant race in July, they can then trade those relievers for prospects. You even said in another post that the Sox would barely spend about a quarter of Dominguez's total salary if they trade him in July. Newcomb will cost around $3M if traded. 

What don't you understand about my position?

I believe in investing in the bullpen as the last step of roster development. Not as it being the lynch pin of an off-season for a team who's lost 100+ games repeatedly.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

23 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

As I've explained multiple times. This is a rebuilding team that has reps to give to post-hype players in the gamble that they get back on the path towards their ceilings. I don't know how you define "major league caliber". 

You either want guys like Baldwin to get a shot to expand on his last 2 months of 2025 where he OPSed .808 to see if he can hold down an OF spot, or not. I would have little interest in watching an OF of Hays, Bader and Conforto, which, last I checked, were all "major league caliber". 

I'm "singing the praises" of Acuña and Pereira in that they have talent and need reps to get there. If a rebuilding team bores you, so be it. 

Conforto is not a MLB caliber starter. Hence why no one is going to sign him to start everyday... except maybe the White Sox.

The White Sox aren't rebuilding, they're bad. People should really stop using the word rebuilding to describe BAD baseball teams. 

[WestEddy]

5 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

What don't you understand about my position?

I believe in investing in the bullpen as the last step of roster development. Not as it being the lynch pin of an off-season for a team who's lost 100+ games repeatedly.

A team has the ability to multi-task. You've already admitted that guys like Dominguez, Kay and Newcomb won't be here August 4th. The Sox will have paid a percentage of their salaries and bring back prospects. This isn't a science lab. A team can bring along young arms (as they're doing with Taylor, Leasure, Gonzalez, Vasil and 2 Rule 5 kids) and have a few veterans to offer stability in high leverage situations. 

What I don't understand is that you seem to want to block prospects with older guys who won't be part of the next competitive team. But whatever areas the Sox improve, you then say that's too soon. 

That's great that you have beliefs. Go apply for a GM position and see how your vision sells. 

[wegner]

4 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Conforto is not a MLB caliber starter. Hence why no one is going to sign him to start everyday... except maybe the White Sox.

The White Sox aren't rebuilding, they're bad. People should really stop using the word rebuilding to describe BAD baseball teams. 

I would personally prefer Sosa to be out there learning OF on the job and keeping his bat in the lineup over signing a veteran like Conforto. 

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

8 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

A team has the ability to multi-task. You've already admitted that guys like Dominguez, Kay and Newcomb won't be here August 4th. The Sox will have paid a percentage of their salaries and bring back prospects. This isn't a science lab. A team can bring along young arms (as they're doing with Taylor, Leasure, Gonzalez, Vasil and 2 Rule 5 kids) and have a few veterans to offer stability in high leverage situations. 

What I don't understand is that you seem to want to block prospects with older guys who won't be part of the next competitive team. But whatever areas the Sox improve, you then say that's too soon. 

That's great that you have beliefs. Go apply for a GM position and see how your vision sells. 

Huh?

I've said the exact opposite. The sign to trade strategy almost never happens, never works, and is a fantasy made up by fans. Players don't sign for a market rate and then get dealt for much more 3 months later without fundamentally changing who they are, which rarely happens. They're also human beings so it's a pretty terrible employee relations strategy.

I want to sign MLB caliber starters to play and try to win baseball games. The fact that is a foreign concept shows how far your brain has fallen into this perpetual rebuild trap and obsession. Which is really just what shitty owners and teams has sold fans as the reason for being bad.

Edited 1 hour ago by Look at Ray Ray Run

[WestEddy]

7 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Conforto is not a MLB caliber starter. Hence why no one is going to sign him to start everyday... except maybe the White Sox.

The White Sox aren't rebuilding, they're bad. People should really stop using the word rebuilding to describe BAD baseball teams. 

No, they're rebuilding. That, right there, is a silly statement. If you can't see past the next 2 weeks, then maybe watching a rebuilding team isn't for you. And mocking people who are excited about the incremental moves a rebuilding team is making doesn't seem to be getting you anywhere towards understanding why the positive ones are excited about where the Sox are going. We explain, you argue, then start the cycle over again in a few days. 

[WestEddy]

4 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Huh?

I've said the exact opposite. The sign to trade strategy almost never happens, never works, and is a fantasy made up by fans. Players don't sign for a market rate and then get dealt for much more 3 months later without fundamentally changing who they are, which rarely happens. They're also human beings so it's a pretty terrible employee relations strategy.

I want to sign MLB caliber starters to play and try to win baseball games. The fact that is a foreign concept shows how far your brain has fallen into this perpetual rebuild trap and obsession. Which is really just what shitty owners and teams has sold fans as the reason for being bad.

 

[Dick Allen]

41 minutes ago, oldsox said:

I get the feeling people here consider Acuna to be better than Baldwin. Not me.

If the Mets signed Tucker or Bellinger, they would have DFA'd Acuna.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

7 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

 

Pal, read the quote you're citing. My lord. I'm joking/mocking the money savings, and go on to say it never makes sense, never happens, and isn't a real thing. 

Have a good rest of the day!

[2Deep]

13 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

No, they're rebuilding. That, right there, is a silly statement. If you can't see past the next 2 weeks, then maybe watching a rebuilding team isn't for you. And mocking people who are excited about the incremental moves a rebuilding team is making doesn't seem to be getting you anywhere towards understanding why the positive ones are excited about where the Sox are going. We explain, you argue, then start the cycle over again in a few days. 

Eddy, this organization has broken you and yet seduced you into believing them.  

[southsider2k5]

2 minutes ago, 2Deep said:

Eddy, this organization has broken you and yet seduced you into believing them.  

Stockholm Syndrome.

[southsider2k5]

14 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

 

LIterally right there.

[WhiteSox2023]

5 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

LIterally right there.

Houser maybe, if Meadiocre and the two prospects turn into anything.

Edited 53 minutes ago by WhiteSox2023

[WestEddy]

1) they acquired a few relievers who will help strengthen the bullpen.
2) Exposing Pallette, and the travails of guys like Coffey, Kelley and Adler show that nobody's being blocked
3) most of the acquisitions are low cost
4) Dominguez may well be tradeable for prospects in July

I'm not sure how this makes me a zombie propaganda slave. 

[WestEddy]

36 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Pal, read the quote you're citing. My lord. I'm joking/mocking the money savings, and go on to say it never makes sense, never happens, and isn't a real thing. 

Have a good rest of the day!

Most of what you say is joking/mocking or making outrageous claims just to argue (Like Vinny Capra being better/more valuable than Shane Smith).  

Never is a strong word. No, a hum-drum closer doesn't bring back an Ohtani or Judge led package, or a "top player" that you only seem to be interested in. There's a lot going on in the game that may not be of interest to the casual observer. 

[WestEddy]

43 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

If the Mets signed Tucker or Bellinger, they would have DFA'd Acuna.

Which would still have resulted in a trade. I can't imagine 28 other teams had zero interest in Acuña.

[southsider2k5]

12 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

1) they acquired a few relievers who will help strengthen the bullpen.
2) Exposing Pallette, and the travails of guys like Coffey, Kelley and Adler show that nobody's being blocked
3) most of the acquisitions are low cost
4) Dominguez may well be tradeable for prospects in July

I'm not sure how this makes me a zombie propaganda slave. 

 

2 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Most of what you say is joking/mocking or making outrageous claims just to argue (Like Vinny Capra being better/more valuable than Shane Smith).  

Never is a strong word. No, a hum-drum closer doesn't bring back an Ohtani or Judge led package, or a "top player" that you only seem to be interested in. There's a lot going on in the game that may not be of interest to the casual observer. 

No, these types of arguments are why.

[WestEddy]

39 minutes ago, 2Deep said:

Eddy, this organization has broken you and yet seduced you into believing them.  

Broken? If you don't accept that this team is rebuilding, they why are you watching? Why do guys like Ray Ray spend all day pretending to laugh at people following a team that has no good players, will never win 63 games this decade and actively injured all of their pitchers? 

[WestEddy]

6 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

 

No, these types of arguments are why.

Making cogent, logical arguments makes one a zombie propaganda slave. Got it.